US Ambassador Dan W Mozena on Wednesday said there are still some challenges Bangladesh needs to address to get back the GSP (generalised system of preferences) facilities.
“We looked at the progress. We looked at the remaining challenges. We had a very good, constructive and positive discussion on how to address the remaining challenges,” he told reporters after a meeting between three secretaries and five envoys at the Commerce Ministry.Mozena reminded that there are several key dates coming which are crucial for the Bangladesh as those reviewing the restoration of GSP will analyse the progress the country made in the RMG sector.
“April 15 is the deadline by which the government of Bangladesh and others have to submit data to those who are reviewing restoration of GSP, generalised system of preference, for Bangladesh. April 15 is a critical date. April 24 is a critical date, that is the one year anniversary of Rana Plaza building collapse,” the US envoy said.
He said they all stakeholders are working together to transform the industry and bring it to international standard in terms of fire safety, factory structural soundness, respect for workers’ rights to freely associate and organise.
Mentioning that he is encouraged as the progress is being made in a number of areas, the US envoy said he believed that the successful implementation of the mechanism they have taken will lead to Bangladesh becoming a preferred brand in the global market place.
About workers’ rights in EPZs, he said they discussed the issue and analysed what steps could be taken to ensure that.
Secretaries of commerce, foreign and labour ministries, and ambassadors of the European Union, Canada, Spain and the Netherlands were present at the meeting. Earlier, the five envoys made a courtesy call on Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, the minister said there is a significant progress on restoring the GSP facilities for the US action plan.
He said the appointment of inspectors and the database of garment factories will be completed within March 31. “We’ll send the complete report to USTR within April 15 and the USTR will review the report to reinstate the GSP facilities to Bangladeshi in June,” he added.
On June 27, President Obama announced his decision to suspend Bangladesh’s trade benefits under the GSP in view of insufficient progress by the government of Bangladesh in affording Bangladeshi workers internationally recognised workers’ rights.
On July 19, the US government made public the action plan public outlining measures to protect workers’ rights and address in a meaningful way the worker safety problems in factories to get back suspended trade benefits under the GSP.
On the basis of this action plan, the United States looks forward to continuing to work with Bangladesh on the actions it needs to take in relation to potential reinstatement of GSP benefit.
The action plan is aimed at improving workers safety in Bangladesh in the wake of global uproar following the collapse of a commercial building here in April that killed 1,129 people in one of the world’s worst industrial disasters – UNB
